Ambigrams and Art by DH-N

Wordplay and Art

Monday, June 27, 2005

Welcome to the art of David Hughes-Narborough...

'AMBIGRAMS'

This ambigram [ambi= both/ gram= letter], can be read the same when viewed upside down. Although there are many types of wordplay, this type of 180 degree symmetrical rotational ambigram above, is perhaps the most well known. These ambigrams became well known by artist John Langdon in the book Angels and Demons, by the best selling author of 'The Da Vinci Code' Dan Brown. Initially you will see these types of ambigrams below. In the following sections there are examples of ambigrams that appear to mysteriously form other related words within the designs. This synchronicity appears when words are either fused with themselves, or other related words. So synchronizing certain words together attracts other related words within the design, where it should be nonsensical. Although naturally each observer uses their own interpretation in these designs, after having seen so many consistent results I am convinced that this is a legitimate phenomenon [Click on images to see larger].

an ambigram of the 'dalai lama'.

first names like 'jake' are common

'George Michael' ambigram and artwork designed in 1990. Several silver and black originals were given to George Michael, and the design later became the inspiration for the 'Older' album cover art. The album cover was also silver on black, with a hint of green in the iris, a different photograph was used and the ambigram replaced with the title 'Older'

'prince'...
...also forms a chain

'Stevie Wonder'

'Jimi Hendrix'

'Barry White'

'David Bowie'

'Legolas'

'jesus christ'

Saying of Jesus (Logoi) as found in the Gospel of Thomas (Doubting Thomas). The Gospel which was discovered on a papyrus in Egypt, is dated to around 200 AD. Ambigrams (180 degree rotational) were designed of the key words "one/two', 'male/female', inside/outside' and 'above/below', so that they are literally 'one and the same'.

Commission for the 'Elevators' logo, that reads the same upside down...

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I found that by combining the same word with itself or another that is related, that other associated words and symbols appear to form spontaneously as a result. For instance combining the word 'snake' with itself to read identically upside down, formed 'venom' in its mirror image.

The following ambigrams demonstrate some of these findings, with words and symbols forming without my prior knowledge. I believe this to be more than coincidence, and that the words and symbols that form consistently within these ambigrams already pre-exist. I feel that ambigrams can be used as a tool to reveal this information, and below are some techniques that can be used to achieve these results.

'AMBISYMBOLS'

These ambigrams read the same when rotated 180 degrees, I then found related symbols had formed when viewed sideways.

'King Kong' as a rotational ambigram...
...in the centre, when viewed sideways, I noticed a symbol of an ape......the 'ambisymbol' is also 180 degree rotational.

The 'DRACULA' ambigram, also has an 'ambisymbol' when viewed sideways in the centre...

...this time, fangs formed spontaneously.

'ARAGORN' ambigram...

...when viewed sideways I found an 'ambisymbol' of the broken sword, Narsil.

180 degree ambigram of 'Excalibur'...

...which I also found has a symbol of the sword reflecting in a lake. Ambisymbols tend to form within mythological icons like the words above, perhaps due to their strong symbolism.

Buddah Lotus Ambisymbol

I converged the buddah in full lotus with a lotus reflecting in water

Om Mani Padme Om, a transliteration combining English with Sanskrit, both languages are readable and unified within the same design

'MIRRORGRAMS'

Four word ambigrams, 2 x 180 degree rotational words. These ambigrams read the same upside down, and when viewed in the mirror I found another related word had formed, also reading 180 degrees rotationally.

I fused the words 'we are one' to read upside down...
... I found that 'mankind' had formed in the mirror image

The word 'Love' below, can be read 180 degrees rotationally also. The word has been fused with itself so that it can be read when viewed upside down...

... I then found another word can be viewed in the mirror image. The word 'Love' transformed into the word 'Peace', without my prior knowledge. I have called these multiple word ambigrams, 'Mirrorgrams'.

An ambigram for 'tiger' can be seen within the painting, on the lower left hand side. It reads the same upside down...

...and in it's mirror image, the words 'A Cat' appeared.

Detail of the tiger totem symbol, that formed from the words...

Below, a more complex 'Mirrorgram' of 'SiberianTiger', again reading 180 degrees rotationally......as a result in the mirror image, I found the keywords 'A big snow Cat' could be interpreted.

a bilateral design of the word 'tigers'...

...I found that as a result the word 'Claw' had formed...

...which also makes the design rotational

I fused 'nirvana' with itself, to read upside down as legibally as possible...
...as a result in the mirror image I could interpret 'onemind'

The word 'snake' designed to read 180 degrees, as legibally as possible...
...forms the word 'venom' in the mirror image.

The method above (180 degree rotational), can be
used to reveal the first of four hidden words, in this case 'sight',
which appeared in the mirror image.

I then made 'eagle' read 'sight' upside down
instead, and the words 'eight/talon' appeared in the
mirror and inverted mirror image. Referring to the eight
talons of an eagle which are unique to raptors in the
animal kingdom.

This time I made 'wolf' read the same upside down...
...only to find that 'moon' had formed.

Another animal mirrorgram, this time of 'Zebra'...
... and again another associated word 'Stripes' formed in the mirror.

Below 'fallen angel' reads upside down......and in the mirror, I found that it read 'is an outcast'

The word 'heaven', like the other examples so far can be read upside down...

...the word 'mansion' (above) appeared within the mirror image, I believe in reference to the words of Jesus Christ: "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a mansion for you." John 14:2 [mansion= dimension]

'OMNIGRAMS'

Four related word ambigrams. These ambigrams are a fusion of two related words, I then found that two more related words had formed spontaneously as a result.

The word 'Ziggy' above fused with......'Stardust'......I then found 'Future' had formed.....and 'Mars'.

'Ziggy Stardust' differs from other ambigrams as four different associated words are contained within one design. I have given this kind of multiple wordplay the name 'Omnigrams'. The name is also inspired by the magazine 'Omni', where I first encountered worldplay in an article [late 70's]. Below is another example, which also contains four words, inspired by Doctor Emoto and his work with water crystals...

'emoto' appears...when 'water' is fused with......'Crystal'...

The word 'pin' below forms 'head' in its mirror image, in reference to the Clive Barker character...... and when rotated 180 degrees, I found the word 'box' repeated twice had appeared.

'king' is fused with ...
...'kong'...
...I then turned the design upside down, and found 'big'...
...and 'ape' had formed.

Below is another four word 'Omnigram'. This time of ...

...'hannibal'...

...'Lecter'...

...revealed 'Cannibal'...

...'doctor'.

The mental illusionist'Derren Brown's first name...
...is fused with 'Brown'...
...I then turned the image upside down and found that 'mind' had formed naturally

'Jack the' reads in it's reflection vertically...
...'Ripper', and when I turned it upside down I found...
...'Maybrick' had formed. I believe that this refers to the suspect James Maybrick.

'FATE-OGRAPHS'

Words and symbols that form within signatures, that relate to the individual.

Because related words can form spontaneously when they are fused together as with the examples below, it occured to me that this could also extend to signatures that belong to people who have a strong association with particular keywords. To demostrate this, at the top of the page there is a monogram of my own initials 'D H-N'...

...when inverted the word 'ART' formed. I had been unaware of this, until then.

Words within signatures like my own above, I will refer to as 'Fate-ographs'. The pencil drawing below is of J.R.R.Tolkien's signature, which I believe contains the words 'Lord' and 'Rings'. The words form from the writing style of the initials 'J.R.R.T.' It was my intention to represent the information within each signature, so that it can be seen as clearly as possible. I have included some originals of the signatures, which I used as references to create the hand drawn version, whilst keeping true to the signature style.

Originals of signature

...a drawing of Bruce Lee, with his signature containing the words 'Kung Fu'...

...another, this time of Andy Serkis' signature style. The word 'gollum', appears within the drawing of the ring...

Can you read the hidden associated word, within this signature?...

George Lucas signature left ('G' and 'L'), forms 'S' and 'W' for Star Wars on the right
Originals of signature [Possible ambisymbol of 'Yoda' scalp also]

William Shakespeare's signature inverted, revealing the name 'Marlowe'...

...referring I believe to Christoper Marlowe the 16-century English playwright...
...another Shakespeare signature, again referring to 'Marlowe', spelling name without the 'e' which was typical for that time

'Jehanne' the signature of Joan of Arc...
...inverted the word 'idol' can be interpreted. She was accussed of idolatry at trial which she denied

...Doug Bradley's signature style contains the word 'Hellraiser', and also a symbol of the character 'Pin Head' he potrays. Clive Barker's signature style beneath, contains at least one relevant word in the mirror, 'evil'.

...a drawing of Elvis Presley. 'The King' can be seen within his signature...

Originals of signature

Steven King signature...
...'Horror' can be clearly read when viewed in it's mirror image

A pencil portrait of Sting I made in 1987...
...Txescu has found the that the word 'Police', forms within Sting's signature below...
... to view more of his excellent work like his 'Fate-ograph' above, visit here
...orignal of signature

Commission a portrait by Fine Artist David Hughes-Narborough in oil paints, colour pencil or graphite pencil, from your favourite photographs. Please visit my site for more information, and commission a portrait of a loved one or a beloved family pet in oils, graphite or colour pencil.

Thank you for your time, and please watch this space, there will be more to follow.